While this cocktail is delicious made with everyday lemons, when the strikingly aromatic Meyer lemons become available in early winter, it’s worth celebrating their deliciousness with a margarita. Until the last decade of the twentieth century, Meyer lemons were mostly ignored and thought to lack viability as a commercial crop—until food luminaries like Alice Waters and Martha Stewart began championing them. They are thought to be a cross between a lemon and an orange. You’ll find that it pays off enormously to use the Meyer lemon in three ways in this drink: infused into tequila, made into simple syrup and squeezed into fresh juice.

Rick Bayless is the author of seven popular cookbooks, including Mexican Everyday and Fiesta at Rick’s. With his wife Deann he owns and operates Chicago’s hugely successful Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO. Bayless is also the founder of the Frontera Farmer Foundation, an organization that supports small local farmers. His product line of prepared foods is sold coast to coast. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

Ingredients

Meyer Lemon Tequila

8

Meyer lemons

1

bottle

100% blue agave blanco tequila (750 milliliters)

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

1

cup

sugar

2

Meyer lemons

Cocktail

1 1/2

cups

Meyer Lemon Tequila

1

cup

Meyer lemon juice (4 to 5 lemons)

3/4

cup

Triple Sec

1/2

cup

Meyer lemon simple syrup

6

cups

ice

8

lemon twists, for garnish

Directions

For the Meyer lemon tequila: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest (colored rind, no white pith) from the lemons in big strips.

Place in a glass jar, add the tequila and cover tightly. Let stand for 4 days for the flavors to blend, tipping the jar back and forth a couple of times each day.

Strain out the zest, and the infused tequila is ready to use. (Stored in a glass container, it will keep its vibrant flavor for a month or two.)

For the Meyer lemon simple syrup: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest (colored rind only) in large pieces from the lemons.

Measure the sugar and 1/2 cup water into a small saucepan, add the zest, set over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

When the mixture reaches the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.